Many Americans are harmed each year, some seriously, because they take the wrong medicines or don’t take the right ones correctly.

Keeping track of your medications is one of the most important responsibilities you have—and you should never take it lightly.

“Consumers need to be active partners with their doctors and ask questions about the medications being prescribed and how those medications might interact with other medications they take,” says Paul Seligman, M.D., M.P.H., associate director for safety policy and communication in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Center for Drug Evaluation and Research in Rockville, Md. “The more informed you are about what a medication is being used to treat, how and when to take the medication, and what the side effects may be, the better you’ll be able to prevent medication errors.”

Since 2000, the FDA has received more than 95,000 reports of medication errors—preventable events that may cause or lead to inappropriate medication use or patient harm.

You can avoid these errors by partnering with your health care team— doctors, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and pharmacists— using the following strategies.

• Know the name of newly prescribed medications and why you’re taking them. When your doctor gives you a prescription, be sure you can read the name of the drug and know how to pronounce it. This can help you notice if the pharmacy gives you something different.

  Also, every time you receive a prescription refill, look at the medication before you leave the pharmacy to make sure it looks the same as what you had before. Is it the same color, size, shape, and texture? If anything seems different, ask the pharmacist to recheck it.

• Ask the following questions about how to use the medication.
  • What should I do if I forget a dose?
  • Should I take this medication before, during, or after meals?
  • What should the timing be between each dose?
  • What side effects might I have?
  • Are there any other medications, foods, or activities I should avoid while using this medication?

  Take notes or ask your doctor to write instructions to help you remember.

• Read medicine labels and follow directions. Before you use any medication, you should know when to take it, how much to take, and for how long. Review the patient medication information that comes with your prescription before using it.
• Keep all your health care providers informed about your medications and dietary supplements. Make a list of everything you take and show it to your doctor and pharmacist. The list should include all your prescription and over-the-counter medications and dietary supplements, including vitamins and herbals.

  You can chart your medications and dietary supplements with “My Medicine Record,” available at www.fda.gov/cder/consumerinfo/
  my_medicine_record.htm.

You also should tell your doctor:

• If you have medicine allergies or if you have had problems when taking a medicine before
• If you’re pregnant or are nursing a baby
• If you have any chronic conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, depression, or asthma

“Medication safety is everyone’s responsibility,” says Seligman.

Barbara Floria spoke with Paul Seligman, M.D., M.P.H., associate director for safety policy and communication in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research in Rockville, Md.

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